OPEN COLUMN. We do not necessarily identify ourselves with the opinions expressed hy our correspondents StR, — At tho laBt annual report of the Hillston Hospital, whioh is still on reoord somewhere, there was evidence of a sudden desire to shift tho fever ward ; iu fact, the whole of one part of that report was satur ated with fover ward. It was made to an. pear generally that if this were dono, notwithsuanding the high degree of effi oienoy already reached recently in Hospital management, absoluto perfection would not be attained until that white unfinished ele phant, was brought up closer to the main buildings. Of oourso tho writer is not sup posed to know anything about things of this sort, nor very particular if the building were convortod into a tennis oourt. At tho same time, tho remark is ventured that in stead of coming nearer with a building usod as the receptaole for contagious or infectious diseases, if wo conld get it a mile or two further away it would bo a very good th...

ROUGHING IT IN THE EARLY DAYS. — — THE STORY OF AN IRISH PIONEER UP-COUNTRY LIFE 50 YEARS AGO. (Contributed to ' The Freeman.') Joseph Franklin, that stur- dy old pioneer, who died lately in the Yass. district, was a native of County Clare, Ire- land, and was born in 1815, the year of Waterloo. He, his wife, and one child emigrated to the colonies in the ship Orient in the year '38, landing &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; in Sydney in '39, exactly six months from the day of em- barkation. There were pas- sengers by the same ship, three English gentlemen —the late &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Mr. Williams, J.P., Mr. Skirt, and Dr Allen, of Yass. These were men of capital, who came to settle in the colony as partners, and making the ac- quaintance with the young lrish emigrant on board, en- gaged him as overseer. The &amp;nbsp; gentlemen referred to, shortly after their arrival purchased landed property near Yass, now known as Walgrove, ...

Death of Mr. Thos. Gormly. (From the Riverine Grazier.) We regret to have to record the death of Mr. Thomas Gormly, of Four Pines, near Hay, which took place at Hay on Saturday. Mr. Thomas Gormly was one of the oldest residents in the district, having resided in Hay and its immediate vicinity for thirty seven years. The deceased gentleman was born in the town of Elphin, county Roscom- mon, Ireland, but when only five years old he came to Australia with his parents, ar- riving in Sydney in January, 1840. The family first took up their residence in the Illawarra district, but after residing there for five years they removed to the Murrum- bidgee, and settled near Gundagai. In 1851 when the first gold was discovered, Mr Gormly's parents, and two children, went to live in the town of Gundagai, whilst Mr. Gormly, an elder brother, and a younger brother (Mr. James Gormly, now represent- ing Wagga Wagga in the Legislative As- sembly, and for very many years a well- known member of Parliame...

L0CA.L AND GENERAL NEWS. Your Chemist keopa Wood's Groat Pepper mint Cure for CoughB and Colds, 1/G and 2/e Tins person arrested in connection with the 'sticking up' of the coach between Captain's Flab and Bungen dore recently- bears tho same name as a mnn' who some years ago was tried W„„r ... f^.. c^-l.'..,. 1,/M.c-nr, t ? „ station tlwn owned by Mr. Brookes Th.it King was found guilty, and sentenced to a long period of im prisonment. Shortly after his release lie was again in trouble upon the much more serious charge of 'sticking up' tho Cudgellico coach at Rankin's Springs, and for his participation in that outrage he was ordered into penal servitude for 10 years. At the Wy along Police Court on Saturday morning Thomas M'Grath, carrying oi\ business ns a baker, was charged witli having short-weight wreacl in liis possession. Out of 277 loaves ready for delivery that morning the police found them 393oz. short of tho required weight. M'Grath was convicted, and fined £9S 15s. Tho t...

A Lady 80 Years Old Cured by Bile Beans. , SUFFERED FOR FORTY Y EA.R3. JHSOHARGED FROM A HOSPITAL Ab INCURABLE. ? 1 (flf . From time to time many wonderful, cures have been placed to the credit: of J5ilo Items for Biliousness, we have i now to'chronicle tho 'marvellous, case ] of -»in old lady of SO -summers,,: who I lias sufll-ied tho most excruciating ! agony for the past forty years. Her i name is Mrs. Bridget WArney, of Gibson Street, Bowdeu, Adelaide, where a reporter of the ' Adelaide i Advertiser interviewed her on Monday, June. '20th, 1S9S. Mrs. M'Aruey is a | typical daughter of the 'Emerald j Isle.' She has lived at her present address for nearly nine years, and in I the district for seventeen years, 'Void i is very widely known. ' Tell you the story of my illness] ' she said, in re sponse to a preliminary question;.! 'certainly I will, with pleasure' ' Well about- forty years ago I bo came very ill. 1 'sullered from sevore pains in the head, chest, and stomach, and used t...

SIX YEARS' INDIGESTION ! Wasted Money trying to get Relief, without avail . Pour Bottles of Olemeats Tonio Restored has Natural Health. Atr. Charles Willis, Carpenter, INI ur- ruinburrnh, N S.W., wiites on Sep. tember 8th, 1897:— 'I feel much pleasure in testifying to the merits of Clements Tonic as a certain curt* fir indigestion. For more than six years 3 sullered from tho above -complaint. I wasted a great, deal of money on various medicines, some of which gave relief for a time, but, tho symptoms wouldii'etuniingJiin, -and- I-would suffer tho same, pains over again. I com .menced to tako Clements Tonic about eight months ago. I took about four bottles when I found myself cured. I never felt in better health all my lifo since . I took Clements Tonic. I now enjoy my food, sleep well, and am quite free from pain,— Yours very tru ly, CHAS WI.LLTS, Mtrrumburrah, N.S.W.' ?

LONDON. Thursday. The French Premier and three col leagues favour the revision of sentence ? of Captain DreyfuB. After his arrest on a charge of for gery, Colonel Henry suicided by cut ting his throat. Maior Esterhazv has been cashiered from the French army, and General De Boisdeffre has resigned his post as head of the war office staff. Sir William Harcourt says he is confident that both the British people and the Government will support the Czar's proposal for an international dis armament. It is rumoured that Admiral Sey mour was directed to seize all Chinese vessels in the Custom Houses unless the British demands were complied with. The London Standard reports that Russia has given satifactory assurance in respect to the British sphere of in fluence in China. Later. There is no news since Monday of the movements of th® Anglo-Egyptian army un der Major- General Kitchener. All the passengers and orew ware saved from the wreoked vessel, Stricken ohier. -The Czar informed -the Freno...

LAKE CUDGELLICO. ? — (From our own correspondent) I noticed in the Spectator lately that Hill ston was insufferably dull. Well, the Lake is muah the same. The former has a dry river, and tbe latter a dry lake. Though it is a good while sinoe I sent you any looal jot tings, I do not seem, even now, to have muoh to write about. The towu is almost deserted just now, the shearing season being on, and people must make a little while the oppor tunity lasts. The looal events of the past few months have been unimportaut, national events, snoh as the Referendum, and the general elections making a bit of a stir for the time, and we drop back iuto the old groove again, and battle against the fate that has Bont us four dry- seasons iu suc cession. How about the railway now r Where is our show now ? The Lachlan country, rich in wheat and pastoral lands ; yet waiting for a railway. Grenfell must beBerved, Wyalong must be served, a few more thousands spent in trial surveys, and then, well I suppos...

Tho Feast of the Laohlanite, Si it, — How cometh it to pass that on tho day thnt ho gooth to press, your printer's devil, or your devil of a printer, should make your servant talk of laying an ' embryo,' inatend of an ' embargo ' on the youth and botuty of the land. Hath ho not iu his malevoleuco ruined the sense of a goodly sentocce. Yours etc., ? Abijuikou The landlord's remark about hard times provoked to scorn the grey hoaded old man with tho wall-eyed dog. 'You talk about the hard times ! Went across the OleMan Plain once from Moulamoin to Hay aforo thero was a fence on it. 'Ad a good 'orse, but when I left the Moulamein I 'ad a drop too much in me, an' some- how I got bushed. I travolled all day an' night' an' all next day, and could not find a mark no how — till nie 'orse dropped. jNoo it was a ease with him, sol jabs mo knife into hisjug'lar and 'as a drink. Tlion I walked on till nigh. time, and fell down nearly dead-boat. When I'd been laying for a bit I saw a twinkle of a...

Influenza Prevalent. INCREASING MORTALITY. OfEoial statistics show that considerably over one death per day from influenza is taking plaoe in N.S.W. alone, and that it is equally in evidenoe in tha sister colonies our contemporaries there disolose. Deaths from influenza have, and are, playing no small part in swelling the mortality list. Very frequently these deuths ara in the first place doe to oarelessness, for the primary oauee of influenza is cold in the ohest and lungs. If thoBe simple ailments were attended to in time, the trouble would possibly end there ; but cold in tho head and lungs, unless oare fully watohed, brings on fever and debility ; fever and debility lead to prostration and heart disease, and prostration and heart dis ease lead to— death. No wonder is it that at so many '.nquests lately the coroner's rerdiot has been ' Death reaultant from influenza.' Having explained the evil after-effeots of thii dangeroua ailment, we have now to ohronicle their oure. Mr. Tate,...

Terrible Tragedy in Sydney. A TOBACCONIST KiLLS HIS SISTER-IN-LAW. AND ATTEMPTS TO MURDER HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. A terrible tragedy took glace at Gsorge street west, about 11 o'olock ou Tuesday morniDg. A tobacconist, named Jean Liaaon, ran amuck and killed his sister-in-law, aged about Biztee9n, and then attempted to mur der a number of others, including his wife and two children, using a olawhammer, a five-ohambered revolver, a double-barrelled shot guu, aud a knife. Lissou first attacked a traveller named Mordannt, who had oalled to arraige about a oertain agreement. When in tho aot of writing, Lieson struck Mordaunt a fearful blow on tho head with the hammer, and at tempted to out his throat. A terrible strug gle enBued, Lfsion making desperate slashes at his viotim's throat, outting his face and blinding him with blood. Eventually Lisson slipped, and Mordaunt then es caped with his life. Mrs. Lisson rushed into the room from tho adjoining apartment, when her husband picked up a...

TELEGRAPHIC ITEMS Prom our ^Special Porresfondbnt SYDNEY, Friday. Flour, £8 15s to ^9. Wheat 3/-, chickwheat 2/8 to 2/9. Pollard and bran 7d, Stock Sales. — 37,162 sheep were penned, and prices were about the same as last : week. Prime wethers realised 14s 5d ; medium from 7s. ; best ewes 10s lOd ; medium from 6s ; shorn wethers 6s 5d ; shorn ewes 5s 4d Cattle — 584 weie yarded, and prices were very firm, . Best bullocks aver aged £10 4s ; medium from £4 ; cows £3 to ^16. Tho Premier's conferenco on Feder ation will probably be followed by a Parliamentary convention similar to that of 1891, and the amended federal bill will be submitted to the people for a direct vote. The convention will probably be held in Brisbane. John Douglas died at [nverell from influenza, aged 94. Some Riverina farmers are signing a petition asking for legislation to prevent Victorian settlers from taking up land in this colony. The revenue for August shows an increase of £3,6b3 as compared with the same mon...

TO STAND THIS SEASON AT i GUNBAR STATION. Ths Pony stallion NEWB0LT. NKWBOLT is a dark ohestcut, standing just under 1-1 hand?, und is a model of shape and strength, kind temper, snd good aotion. IIo was tired by the Welsh pony, Hotspur (imp ) dam Nancy by Kelpie Newbolt has taken first' prize at Sydtiey and other shows, as stallion under 1-1 hands, and has won the open high jump nt Qrafiou show, and elsewhere. Terms— £2 2s. Ocod paddocks provided, and erery oare aare taken of mares, but without responsi bility. Fur further particulars apply, JOHN ARMSTRONG, jun Gunbar Station.

An Interesting Operation. | AMPUTATION OF A SHOULDER Exceptional interest was manifested by members of the medical profession in an operation which was performed at the Melbourne Hospital on Thursday. The attendance in the operating theatre was the largest ever known, the number present, including surgi cal nurses, being over 100. The patient was the brother of a lady well-known in Melbourne in connec tion with philanthrophic movements. Three years ago, in New South Wales, while out riding, he was thrown from his horse, and sustained some injuries which were not then regarded as of a serious nature. Eighteen months later, when taking part in a cricket match, he complained of pains in his right aria. These, however, passed away, and did not again manifest them selves till about four rsonths ago ; the patient in the meantime having gone to AVest Australia. In that colony he became a pretty regular bicycle rider, ancl he had the misfortune to suffer a rather severe fall from his bicycl...

The Beality of Kloadyke. ONLY A FEW SUCCEED. WAGES COMING DOWN. THE COST' OF LIVING. Before the last Canadian mail left Van couver, a body of miners from Elondyke arrived there. The general feeling and ex pression of the returned Dawson men was one of relief and pleasure in once more being in the regions of civilisation. Most of those that oame out on the Athenian had from £400 to £1000 each, aud some had claims and interests in and around Dawson. They all agree ia Baying that only a few get fortune^. Many who have made big strikes deplore the faot that sensational and misleading re ports have been sent broadcast in reference to the amount of gold taken from Alaskan soil. They say that during the past few months thousands of people have been flocs ing to Dawson, and as that country has but one resouroe, and there are already too many people there, there is bound to be much suffering during the coming winter. The banks and business men at Dawson estimate the wash-up this season at fr...